The procedures put in place by the Torrevieja Health Authority during Holy Week, enabled the 24-hour opening 6 Continuous Care Points (PAC) over the holiday period, resulting in the delivery of urgent treatment to a total of 3,318 emergencies, an average of 664 patients per day, with an average waiting time of less than 15 minutes.
The numbers show a substantial increase in medical care, with 1,000 more patients attending than those seen during the same period in 2019, just before the pandemic. The integration of primary and specialized care allowed the PACs to be connected to Torrevieja hospital, so that users could have their health problems treated closer to home, without any undue delays.
Following the transfer of the authority back into public management by the Ministry of Health, a significant shortage of professionals was observed, however, this was resolved during Easter with the recruitment of 64 new professionals who were incorporated into the Nursing Department. The centres also increased the number of doctors with by 10 medical professionals and Primary Care paediatricians by 3.
Improving the working conditions of emergency staff has been a priority. The Emergency Service has recruited professionals in all categories: 38 more nurses, increasing from 21 to 58, 8 more Auxiliary Nurses, going from 15 to 23, and 4 additional guards, going from 17 to 21. In addition, during the Holy Week period, two extra guards were employed.
The Emergency Service has also recruited 2 additional administrators, going from 6 to 8 staff.
In total, the workforce of the Torrevieja health department has now grown by 750 professionals in the last six months.
But still the data provided by the Ministry of Health contrasts enormously with the complaints coming from the unions that represent the staff in the Emergency Department of the University Hospital, the head of which resigned in the middle of Holy Week with the delays of treatment to patients again increasing.
